Johnny Whiteley
Encyclopedia
John William Whiteley MBE
(born October→December in Hull
, East Riding of Yorkshire
) is an English
former professional Rugby League World Cup
winning footballer and coach. A Great Britain international representative forward, and later coach, he played his entire club football with Hull.
At age 15, he joined Boulevard Police Boys Club and was made prop. Shortly afterwards he moved to Hull Boys Club and played for the Hull under-16 representative team. At the age of 18, Johnny joined the Military Police, 14 months of which were spent in Vienna.
Johnny Whiteley was selected for Great Britain
Squad while at Hull for the 1954 Rugby League World Cup
in France
. However he did not participate in any of the four matches, with Dave Valentine
playing as / in all four matches.
He captained Hull from 1956 and that year the side won the league championship when Colin Hutton kicked a last-minute penalty in the final against Halifax at Maine Road.
Hull won the European Club championship in 1957. Johnny was a member of the 1958 Great Britain
touring squad that retained The Ashes, and he scored a try in the 40-17 third Test success in Sydney.
In 1958 Hull won the play-offs again, against Workington. They lost in the cup final at Wembley in 1959.
Whiteley was a member of the last Great Britain team to beat Australia on home soil in the 1959 test series, scoring the try that beat the Aussies that year.
Again Hull reached the cup final 1960. He scored a match-winning try against the Aussies in the last few minutes which gave Great Britain the 1960 Ashes.
He was a member of the 1962 Great Britain team which won the Ashes in Australia.
Whiteley became player coach in October 1963.
Whiteley moved across the river to Hull Kingston Rovers
as coach in 1970 and stayed until 1972 when he was sacked.
He coached the G.B. squad that toured Australia in 1970 and they were the last to win the Ashes in Australia. He left Hull on his return to coach Hull Kingston Rovers
until leaving them in 1972. He then carried on coaching the Yorkshire origin side for 12 years.
He was then recalled to coach Great Britain in 1980 for two years.
He joined the Rugby Football League
Roll of Honour in November 2004 having been nominated by both Hull and Hull Kingston Rovers. He was made an MBE
for services to rugby league and the community in the 2005 New year's honours list.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(born October→December in Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
former professional Rugby League World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
winning footballer and coach. A Great Britain international representative forward, and later coach, he played his entire club football with Hull.
Early life
Whiteley grew up during the 2nd World War in Hull; his house was hit by the biggest bomb to land in Hull during the war. He attended Gordon Street Junior School and Westbourne Street. He left school at 14.At age 15, he joined Boulevard Police Boys Club and was made prop. Shortly afterwards he moved to Hull Boys Club and played for the Hull under-16 representative team. At the age of 18, Johnny joined the Military Police, 14 months of which were spent in Vienna.
Playing career
He signed for Hull in 1950 for £100. He played 15 seasons for Hull making 417 appearances and scoring 156 tries and 2 goals for at total of 472 Points. In his time with Hull, he was never dropped.Johnny Whiteley was selected for Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
Squad while at Hull for the 1954 Rugby League World Cup
1954 Rugby League World Cup
The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954 and officially known as the "Rugby World Cup". The prime motivators behind the idea of holding a rugby league world cup were the French, who were short of money following the seizing of their assets by the rugby union in World War II.The...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. However he did not participate in any of the four matches, with Dave Valentine
Dave Valentine
David Donald Valentine was a Scottish representative rugby union and Rugby League World Cup winning footballer, a dual-code rugby international of the 1940s and '50s.-Rugby union:...
playing as / in all four matches.
He captained Hull from 1956 and that year the side won the league championship when Colin Hutton kicked a last-minute penalty in the final against Halifax at Maine Road.
Hull won the European Club championship in 1957. Johnny was a member of the 1958 Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
touring squad that retained The Ashes, and he scored a try in the 40-17 third Test success in Sydney.
In 1958 Hull won the play-offs again, against Workington. They lost in the cup final at Wembley in 1959.
Whiteley was a member of the last Great Britain team to beat Australia on home soil in the 1959 test series, scoring the try that beat the Aussies that year.
Again Hull reached the cup final 1960. He scored a match-winning try against the Aussies in the last few minutes which gave Great Britain the 1960 Ashes.
He was a member of the 1962 Great Britain team which won the Ashes in Australia.
Whiteley became player coach in October 1963.
Coaching career
Whiteley carried on coaching at Hull after his last appearance as a player. When Roy Francis retired as Hull coach in 1965, Whiteley, now himself retired with an injured shoulder, took over, though he resigned in 1970. He then moved to Warrington on 6th February 1965 until the end of the 1969/70 season.Whiteley moved across the river to Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
as coach in 1970 and stayed until 1972 when he was sacked.
He coached the G.B. squad that toured Australia in 1970 and they were the last to win the Ashes in Australia. He left Hull on his return to coach Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
until leaving them in 1972. He then carried on coaching the Yorkshire origin side for 12 years.
He was then recalled to coach Great Britain in 1980 for two years.
After rugby
After his career finished, he ran a gym in west Hull. He later set up the West Hull amateur rugby league club.He joined the Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
Roll of Honour in November 2004 having been nominated by both Hull and Hull Kingston Rovers. He was made an MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
for services to rugby league and the community in the 2005 New year's honours list.